Returning to the apartment, Hu Liena and the others were out. Wang Zhong went back to his room, cleaned himself up, and sat cross-legged on the bed, taking out the spirit bone he had obtained from the Saint Spirit Cult brute.
The spirit bone glowed, incredibly beautiful, its radiant colors almost dyeing the entire room in a spectrum of seven hues.
"Sky Clamp, World Sever."
"These two spirit abilities are mine now!"
A broad smile spread across his face. As Wang Zhong's spirit power surged, he was about to absorb it into his body. At that moment, a deep and ancient voice echoed in his sea of consciousness.
"Little one, don't absorb it like that!"
"Otherwise, you will become a disciple of the Saint Spirit Cult!"
The sudden voice made Wang Zhong jump up. He quickly closed his eyes, his spiritual power diving into his sea of consciousness, searching the vast expanse of ice and fire.
"Here, stop looking around."
In the sky, the fiery red light cluster symbolizing the little fox let out a sigh of helplessness.
Wang Zhong's brow twitched violently. His spiritual power instantly formed a beam of light and shot into the light cluster, passing through a long, dark passage. He once again saw the mountain-sized little fox.
The little fox lay prostrate, its nine thick tails swaying behind it. Its front paws were placed together, its large head resting on them, tilted slightly. It gazed at the tiny Wang Zhong before it, its fiery red eyes carrying a hint of laziness and boredom.
"Little fox? You can talk?"
Its long, pointed ears trembled slightly. The little fox stared at him, its enormous beastly mouth splitting into a grin, its gaze carrying a trace of tenderness.
"No, I do not speak human languages."
"The reason you can understand me is due to our shared consciousness."
"Once this consciousness is broken, all you will hear are my roars."
Each word was clear and orderly, and one could clearly feel the human-like intelligence behind them.
Wang Zhong's mouth fell open. His martial soul could actually converse with him, and it was full of wisdom. This would surely shock many.
"Alright, I spoke to warn you. Do not absorb Ning Wudi's spirit bone in the same way you would absorb ordinary spirit bones!"
"Once you absorb it, you will become one of the Saint Spirit Cult's disciples!"
"This is also why Ning Wudi deliberately left this spirit bone behind!"
The little fox spoke softly, explaining calmly.
Such an explanation made Wang Zhong frown. He instinctively said, "Human Demon, Ning Wudi, so that's the brute's name. It fits him well; his aura and power were terrifyingly formidable."
"However, little fox, you're saying Ning Wudi deliberately left this spirit bone? Does that mean he had a way to destroy it at the moment of his death?"
Wang Zhong's words caused the little fox to gently shake its head before calmly stating, "No, it's not as simple as destroying it."
"Within the Saint Spirit Cult, those at the Elder level and above receive a blessing from the Saint Spirit Cult's leader."
"This blessing is called 'Reincarnation Rebirth'! It allows them to revive after a period of time following their death!"
"This revival has no restrictions or after-effects. Spirit bones are inherently part of them, and they disappear upon their death, awaiting the next revival. It's impossible for them to be left behind."
"For a spirit bone to remain, it must be left intentionally! And this intention is usually because they have discovered a talented seed and wish to develop a disciple!"
The little fox's brief words sent shivers down Wang Zhong's spine, filling him with a profound sense of horror.
Death... revival...
Such a thing, which even gods would find difficult to achieve, something seemingly from a fairy tale, could actually be done!
"Reincarnation Rebirth? This technique, this technique, why would this technique appear here!!!"
Wang Zhong's spiritual power suddenly trembled, almost shattering the miniature figure formed by his spiritual power.
But he quickly recovered, gently tapping his forehead. He had a memory of the term "Reincarnation Rebirth" in his mind, but the specific details were as if a page from a complete book had been torn out and taken away.
It was very strange!
"You know this technique?"
The little fox suddenly looked up, its fiery red eyes fixing on Wang Zhong with extreme seriousness.
After pondering for a long time, Wang Zhong finally shook his head and sighed, "I don't know. I just feel a strange familiarity."
This answer left the little fox helpless. It knew that Wang Zhong's mind contained some inexplicable knowledge and memories, the origins of which were unknown.
Resting its head back on its front paws, the little fox lowered its eyelids and continued, "Little one, you have been chosen by Ning Wudi. In the time to come, whether you wish it or not, you will be inextricably entangled with the Saint Spirit Cult."
"Either you die by their hands, or you become one of them."
"There is no other outcome."
Wang Zhong stared at the half-drooping little fox before him, feeling a sense of inexplicable loss and sadness.
"Little fox, are you feeling a bit down?"
The feeling in his heart wasn't his own; it came from the little fox.
"No..."
But as soon as the words left its mouth, the little fox felt a small hand, no bigger than a single hair to it, touch its slightly moist nose.
Wang Zhong smiled gently, "Little fox, you and I are one. I can easily sense your feelings."
"Lying to me is useless." httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
To this, the little fox could only sigh and say, "Alright, yes. I am indeed feeling unhappy."
"Now, in every aspect, you can be considered my master. As your martial soul, I cannot dissuade you from doing anything."
"Even if you want to join the Saint Spirit Cult, I can only follow."
"Do you have an enmity with the Saint Spirit Cult?" Wang Zhong withdrew his hand and asked softly.
"Yes, an enmity that spans thousands upon thousands of years of bloody war, an enmity unto death!"
The little fox's partially closed eyes were filled with fierce determination and killing intent.
The clashes of countless ages could not be described merely as enmity; it was a hatred so profound, an evil so deep, that it sought to grind the other to dust and sever their bloodline.
However, in a great battle a million years ago, it had lost. It had lost completely. Its very bones and blood were torn out, its flesh stripped, its blood drunk, its meat consumed – that was the best description of its fate.
"So, you're worried I'll join the Saint Spirit Cult?" Wang Zhong asked tentatively.
"Mm."
"You heard me say earlier that the Saint Spirit Cult leader bestows blessings upon his elders, making them immortal!"
"And since Ning Wudi left this spirit bone, it is highly likely you will be groomed as a replacement elder. Once you pass the various assessments, you will become one of their elders!"
"Eternal life, immortality – such things are within easy reach. Throughout history, countless human prodigies, monstrous talents, or beasts with powerful bloodlines have sought to pursue and join them, only to meet a fate of being dismembered and their bones reduced to dust."
"With Ning Wudi's spirit bone as your guarantee and token, you can almost be considered his registered disciple!"
The little fox's ears drooped at this moment. In its current martial soul form, its strength was worlds apart from its former glory when it ruled the world.
It was too weak now, utterly incomparable to the living demon god that was the Saint Spirit Cult leader.
If it were at its full strength now, it could confidently tell Wang Zhong that it could grant him immortality, just as he could!
But the current little fox lacked the standing to make such a claim.